Dear Colleagues,
It has been one of those weeks where I've spent more time in schools than at my desk, and I'm better for it.
Year 11 Reviews and the Detail That Matters
Monday took me back to Ivybridge Community College for the Year 11 review process. Every secondary school runs this post-mock exercise, but seeing it up close always reminds me how much the fine detail counts at this stage. The careful recalibration of teaching groups, the sequencing of final lessons so content aligns precisely with what students are about to sit, the attention to wellbeing as exam pressure builds. It is marginal gains work in the truest sense, and Ivybridge do it as well as anywhere I've seen. Across the Trust, mock results are feeding into these conversations and showing a high degree of promise, without wishing to pre-empt outcomes. At Coombe Dean, 132 students have improved by at least one grade in maths, English language or English literature, which is a real testament to sustained effort from students and staff alike. Callington have reported strong progress too, with SPARX completion rates and demonstrable gains in maths standing out. What feels particularly encouraging is the picture emerging for our disadvantaged students, who form a core part of our strategy. These aren't just numbers; they represent young people beginning to believe in what they can achieve. Everything to play for in the summer.
Let's Dance and Civic Responsibility
Tuesday evening I was at South Dartmoor for the Let's Dance show, a collaboration between the Arena and Dartmoor School Sport Partnership bringing together primary schools and local dance groups from across the area. Over 220 young people were on stage by the finale, ranging from a toddler who stole the show simply by toddling across from one outstretched hand to another, through to young adults performing with their dance troupes. The event raised funds for Nayamba School in Zambia, where £1.40 feeds a child for a month. Moments like these remind me that our schools are genuine anchors in their communities, not just places of learning but focal points that draw people together across ages and settings in common purpose.
Learning Beyond Our Trust
On Thursday I visited Broadclyst Primary, part of the Cornerstone Academy Trust near Exeter. Their use of technology genuinely took me aback. I watched a teacher with about five years' experience using AI as a live partner in the classroom, analysing pupil work in real time and offering personalised feedback to nearly forty children simultaneously. Down the corridor, another teacher was using Magma Maths with a queuing system so no child sits idle with a hand up. It was inspiring and it has prompted some useful thinking about where we are on our own AI and technology path. We don't need to copy anyone's model, but we should be curious and honest about what's possible.
Earlier in the week we were privileged to host colleagues from Education South West at Ivybridge, and it was fantastic to be part of that ongoing collaboration with our friends at ESW. Between that visit and the Broadclyst trip, it has been a good week for learning with and from others. The best thinking rarely happens in isolation, and these connections across trusts matter just as much as the work we do within WeST.
In Our Primary Schools
I visited Camelford Primary on Thursday and was struck again by the quality of their EYFS provision. A four-year-old called Ezra was writing with remarkable finger spacing while trying to spell "lizard", delighted because it shares the Z in his name. The balance of child-led exploration and expert adult guidance in that room was exceptional. Across the primary phase, there has been plenty to celebrate this week. Boringdon's Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils represented themselves brilliantly at a PSSP dodgeball event. Holbeton launched British Science Week with an Energy Edd workshop featuring exploding elephant's toothpaste and a chromatography mystery. St Breward hosted their local MP, Ben Maguire, for a conversation about inclusion that felt timely given the recent government White Paper. And at St Teath, a bumper round-up of sporting achievements, including a cluster netball championship, showed what a small school with big ambition can do.
Sporting and Creative Highlights
Coombe Dean's swimming teams performed superbly at the Plymouth Schools Championships, with the girls finishing second overall. Plymstock's Year 7 boys beat Lipson 5-2 to reach the Plymouth Cup final, and Ethan earned a well-deserved Star Player award representing Devon SFA U16s. At Ivybridge, congratulations to Nathan Todd, Seb Lethbridge, Jake Mackenzie, Elliot Pocknell and Max Ward on their South West rugby selection, and to Seb Bennett on becoming the U16 South West Épée Fencing Champion. Sir James Smith's music students performed at the Music for Youth Frequencies festival in Redruth, which is a wonderful platform for young musicians. Meanwhile, Plymstock's Year 7s enjoyed a trip to Normandy, ordering crêpes in French at Fougères market and visiting the war memorial at Arromanches.
Staff Survey 2026
Finally, a note for everyone: our Staff Survey opens on 25th March and runs until 22nd April. Last year we reached 67% participation. This year we're aiming for 80%. This is a genuine opportunity to feed back in a careful, structured way that our governors, trustees and even Ofsted pay close attention to. Your responses genuinely shape what we do next. This year I am also including four questions around the use and perception of AI, so that as we develop our thinking in this area we do so hand in hand with staff. Please take part and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
Next week I will be thinking more about what I saw at Broadclyst and how we continue to develop our own approach to technology. For now, thank you for another week of quiet, purposeful work across every corner of the Trust.
Warm regards,
Nat Parnell
CEO
